Mosaics by Marko Rupnik, a Slovenian priest-artist, were covered up after at least 20 women accused him of sexual and psychological abuse. He is now on trial.

As he stressed human dignity in Lampedusa, Pope Leo also issued a July Fourth message to the U.S., saying "in every generation" immigrants "helped to shape the nation’s character.”

The sect, the Society of St. Pius X, defied a direct plea from Pope Leo XIV and sought to consecrate four bishops without the Vatican's approval.

Italy’s right-wing prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, was labeled Europe’s “Trump whisperer,” but the war in Iran turned their friendship into a liability for her.

In "Magnifica humanitas," he fires a broadside against AI companies, warning of the technology's dangers in the same way Pope Francis did about climate change.

Relations between the United States and the Vatican are at a low point over President Trump’s attacks on Pope Leo, who is a leading critic of the war in Iran.

The secretary of state is set to travel to Italy this week, a Vatican official said. Observers view the trip as an attempt to patch up ties with the Vatican and Italy.

The symbiosis between the president and European nationalists has reached a potential breaking point as he issues genocidal rhetoric and criticizes the pope.

Some Trump administration officials cloak the war on Iran in religious terms, but the Chicago-born pope said that God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war.”

European allies are doubling down on their resistance to the war against Iran despite President Trump’s growing exasperation and threats of backing away from NATO.

Four masked men are believed to have forced their way through an entry gate, grabbed the paintings and escaped by climbing a fence, Italy’s Carabinieri said.

The war in Iran, which is deeply unpopular in Europe, has put Trump’s closest European allies, a constellation of conservative and populist leaders, on the defensive.

Pope Leo’s decision not to visit the U.S. in 2026 reflects his desire to emphasize the importance of other parts of the Catholic world.

After left-wing groups rallied against the cost and environmental impact of the Winter Games in Italy, some protesters set off fireworks and hurled bottles.

The Opening Ceremonies of the 2026 Winter Olympics will have four simultaneous events in four locations marking what organizers say is the most spread out Games in history.

Some advocates say the Winter Games are driving up property prices and exacerbating income inequality.

A previously unreported Christmas Eve meeting in Vatican City was one of many failed attempts to find safe harbor for the Venezuelan leader before the U.S. raid.

Italian cooking joins French gastronomy and Mexican cuisine on UNESCO’s list of global cultural gems, setting off celebration and snickering.

Rather than his native Chicago or adopted Peru, Pope Leo XIV is making his first foreign trip to Turkey and Lebanon, putting him on tricky terrain shared by Muslims and Jews.

Ukraine hopes to capitalize on Pope Leo’s calls for peace to coax the Vatican into helping secure the release of children and other prisoners held by Russia.

A group of 48 transgender women attended a major Vatican event on Sunday with Pope Leo XIV, continuing a tradition that began under Pope Francis.

A routine Commerce Department probe into alleged “dumping” resulted in crushing 100% tariffs on Italian pasta that leave exporters shouting “Basta!”

The Latin Mass has become toxically politicized and is posing a test for Pope Leo XIV as traditionalists call on him to reverse restrictions imposed by Pope Francis.

Conservatives who hoped that Leo, the first U.S.-born pope, would be more of a traditionalist instead hear echoes of his predecessor, Francis, in his public statements.

New laws could ban LGBTQ+ issues from classrooms and more strictly limit transition-related care for transgender minors — part of a wider trend in Europe and the U.S.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, inclined toward Israel, is navigating an uncomfortable position as the Italian navy helps a Gaza aid flotilla.

About 1,450 participants from 22 countries hoped for a sign from Pope Leo XIV that he would continue the LGBTQ+ outreach of his predecessor.

He played video games like other teenagers but was also fascinated by the Eucharist and, since his death from leukemia at age 15, is credited with two miracles.

Under Pope Francis, the Vatican approved an improbable LGBTQ+ pilgrimage, but the views of Leo XIV, on an issue that has long divided the Catholic church, are not yet clear.

The push to build the Messina bridge linking Sicily to mainland Italy illustrates how European governments are capitalizing on NATO’s pledge to boost defense spending.

Emma Maria Mazzenga, 92, holds four world records for women over 90. Now, researchers are trying to understand the secret to her success.

Lebanon would be a highly symbolic stop for the first American pope, who has repeatedly called for peace in the Middle East.

Carlo Alberto Capella served prison time for a child pornography conviction but was allowed to return to work at the Vatican, posing a test for Pope Leo XIV.

The Rev. Gabriel Romanelli of the Church of the Holy Family used to speak every night with Pope Francis before the pontiff’s death.

In Venice, a romantic backdrop of weddings for centuries, the marriage of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez is providing an economic windfall and stirring protest.

A tip to an Italian TV show focused on missing individuals helped police in Rome identify an American man who was arrested in Greece on Friday.

The Vatican has a long history of conflict mediation, with varying degrees of success. An effort by the pope to end the war in Ukraine would face long odds.

Leo, the first American and second Latin American pope, celebrated his inaugural Mass at the Vatican after waving to the faithful on the popemobile.

As much as Leo he has echoed Francis, the first American pope is fast emerging as his own man.

Prevost, who was promoted by Francis and has a knack for management and a zeal for missionary work, was a stronger candidate than many outside the Vatican knew.

YouTube video by Gianluca Punzi

The last Italian pope died in 1978. Now, among the papal candidates ahead of next week’s conclave, there are several Italian contenders.

The pope’s unadorned tomb, marked by a single Latin word — Franciscus — was intended, a cleric said, to reflect a life of “simplicity and essential things.”

The visit at the Vatican brought together the ailing head of the Catholic church and a high-profile convert who has criticized the pope’s social teachings.

Pope Francis was released home to the Vatican following a hospitalization in which he suffered two respiratory episodes that almost cost him his life.

“The pope will be released tomorrow,” said one of the pope’s attending physicians Saturday, after Francis spent five weeks battling a severe health crisis.